Buttonhole machine



June 2, 1931.

H. C. MILLE R BUTTONHOLE MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 25. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I gwventoz attocmq June 2, 1931. H. c. MILLER Y 1,807,699

' BUTTONHOLE MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 25. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 attoz mg Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IBUTTONHOLE MACHINE Original application filed August 25, 1922, Serial No. 584,323. Patent No. 1,640,283, dated August 23, 1927. Divided and this application filed. March 24, 1927. Serial No. 178,001.

This invention relates to an improvement in button-hole sewing machines, designed particularly for carrying out the method described and claimed in my co-pending application filed August 25, 1922, Serial No.

58A,?)28, of which application the present application is a division. The said application has now matured into Patent No. 1,640,283 dated August 28, 1927.

In machines heretofore employed for the formation of button-holes of the type Wherein a portion of the fabric is completely severed to form the button-hole, it has been customary to provide a vacuum suction device to carry away the severed material, but in practice, particularly where the material is of more than one ply, it has been found that this method of elimination of the punchings is at best but partly successful, with the result that some of the punchings are caught by the sewing mechanism and sewn in the operation of the button-hole, with a defective button-hole as a result.

The main object of the present invention 25. is therefore an apparatus for forming a button-hole by initially cutting through the fabrics for a portion of the outline 'of the proposed button-hole, with the cutting arranged to leave the otherwise severed margin with in the outline of the proposed button-hole, with this margin integral with the fabric. The margin is, during the stitching of the button-hole in accordance with the improved mechanism, automatically turned back onto the fabric and held in such position by the over stitches, whereby there is provided a button-hole of the full opening desired, without the necessity of severing any of the material from the article in the formation of 40 such button-hole.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary anvil plate on which the cutter or punch acts directly, this plate being adapted when worn or imperfect cfor ready and convenient removal and replacement by another, without requiring expert service for this work. The auxiliary anvil plate, through its adaptation for convenient replacement, insures that a perfect cutting operation of the punch may be had at all times, and avoids the heretofore necessity of resurfacing the anvil face from time to time to insure a clean and perfect cut of the punch. The auxiliary anvil plate of the present invention is so formed that the punch will cut through the material throughout a predetermined length of the outline edge of the button-hole, but will not completely sever the remaining portion of such outline edge. This provides for a margin which remains integral with the fabric within the buttonhole outline, and which is adapted to be folded back in the stitching of the button-hole.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a broken perspective of a well known type of sewing machine with the improvements hereinbefore referred to applied thereto, the cloth plate and clamp plate being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the auxiliary anvil plate and trimmer in cooperative relation, the view also showing the parts separated. I r

Fig. 3 is a plan showing a trimmer and superimposed auxiliary anvil plate in trimming position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, the trimmer and auxiliary anvil plate being shown in position occupied during the stitching operation. 0

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the application of the initial stitch in stitching the button-hole.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the application of the auxiliary anvil plate 5 and trimmer, and showing the use of the guard finger of the trimmer.

' Fig. 7 is a plan illustrating more particularly the application of the initial stitch to the button-hole.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the progressive stitching of the needle throughout the cut length of the button-hole edge.

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the initial position of the lower needle at the juncture of the margin and cut portion of the button-hole edge, illustrating the initial turning in of the margin by the needle.

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the result of the continued stitching and laying in of the unsevered margin of material.

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing a further laying in of the unsevered margin.

Figs. 12 and 13 show respectively the face and reverse sides of the completed buttonhole.

The improved details are applied to the well known Reece type of sewing machine, such as is illustrated in U. S. Patent No. 494,280, March 28, 1893, to J. Reece, which for the purposes of this description may be said to comprise a bed 1, on which the arm 2 is slidably mounted. The upper sewing mechanism, including the upper needle 3,

' is carried by the arm, while the lower sewing mechanism, including the throat plate 5 at the upper end of the turret, the lower needle 6, and cooperating parts, is supported on parts integral with or otherwise appropriately connected to the traveling head or arm 2. Both the upper and lower sewing mechanisms are relatively reciprocated by the usual means.

The cloth plate 9 of the present invention is adapted to be removably secured to the bed plate of the machine, this cloth plate, together with the conventional or any preferred form of clamp 11, being thereby fixed with relation to the bed plate so that the traveling arm and sewing mechanism carried thereby move with relation to the cloth plate and clamps. The cloth plate is formed with an opening 12 through which the fabric is cut and through which the formed buttonhole is subsequently stitched. The punch arm 13, which is carried by the arm 2 and is operated in the usual manner, carries a punch 14, having an edge outline corresponding to the size of the button-hole to be cut. This punch has been heretofore arranged for cooperation with an anvil cutting block, and it has been ordinarily difiicult to so arrange this punch and cutting surface that the cut of the fabric will be completely clean at all times. To

" overcome this objection, I provide what may be termed an auxiliary anvil cutting plate 15, shown more particularly in Fig. 2, which is secured to the underlying portion of the traveling arm support, and moves with the arm. This auxiliary anvil plate is a thin plate formed at the forward end, that is, in line with one cuttin edge of the punch when the latter is depressed, with a series of perforations 16, the purpose of which .will later appear.

As the punch operates through the fabric 18, held on the cloth plate by the clamps, the punch proper will out clearly through the plies of the fabric except throughout that margin of the proposed button-hole defined by the line of perforations 16. In the solid portion of the auxiliary anvil plate between these perforations, the punch, meeting this resistance of the plate, will out the fabric, but as there is no plate resistance at each perforation, the fabric will not be cut at the perforation, and hence the punch in its complete operation will leave a margin 19 connected with the fabric and disposed within the outline edge of the proposed button-hole,

- this margin 19 being connected by the uncut portions provided for in the arrangement of the perforations 16, as previously described.

It will be understood that the cloth plate 9 and clamps 11 remain stationary, and that the sewing mechanisms, together with the punch arm and auxiliary anvil plate, move with the arm.

The sewing mechanism will of course be operated so as to follow the outline edge of the formed button-hole in the stitching of said button-hole, and in this stitching operation, the lower needle 6, which is curved in the usual form, moves upwardly in the slit in the fabric formed by the punch beyond the margin 19, the stitching starting at one corner juncture of such margin and slit, as at 28. The stitching operation continues, the lower needle rising through the slit beyond the margin until it finally reaches the opposite corner edge 29. On the up stroke through this particular corner edge, the needle will slightly displace the margin 19 and start to turn the same over onto the fabric beyond the button-hole. As the stitching continues, the movement of the lower needle gradually folds over this margin on the connection provided by the partial cut formed in the fabric through the use of the perforations 16 until when the stitching is completed, this margin 19 will be folded over onto the fabric beneath the over stitches and securely held, thus exposing the full area of the button-hole.

The invention thus far disclosed is direct ed to an apparatus for completing a buttonhole wherein the outline of the proposed button-hole is so punched or cut as to leave an integral margin of the-fabric within said button-hole outline, which margin is automatically folded back onto the fabric beyond the button-hole outline by the stitching instrumentalities during the edge stitching of the button-hole. This folded back margin is not pierced by any of the threads in this stitching operation, but is laid in beneath the over stitches and is securely held by them. Therefore, the laid in margin becomes imperceptible when the button-hole is finally complete-d. The improved auxiliary anvil plate is, as will be evident, readily replaceable without requiring expert assistance or adjustment, being connected by a single set screw 25 to the underlying moving support of the mechanism and held against displacement by pins 26 projecting from the support and passing through openings in the anvil plate. The anvil plate is so formed that the punch when cooperating with the plate will cut the fabric to leave an integral margin of such fabric within the outline of the proposed button-hole, with the juncture between such margin and fabric proper so scored or divided as to form a hinge for the margin to thereby insure that such margin will be folded back along that predetermined line which will maintain the proper outline of the completed button-hole.

Claims:

1. A machine including means to cut a button-hole from a fabric to leave a margin of such fabric within the outline of the but ton-hole, said machine including stitching mechanism having a needle for sewing the edge of the button-hole, with the needle of the stitching mechanism automatically folding said margin of fabric back onto the fabric beyond the edge of the button-hole in the stitching operation.

2. In combination, a cutting means to operate upon a fabric to form a button-hole out, said cutting means cutting completely through the fabric for a pprtion of the button-hole outline only to thereby leave a margin of fabric within the outline of the button-hole, and stitching means for stitching the marginal edge of the button-hole and simultaneously operating to turn back the margin of fabric left by the cutting means onto the fabric beyond the button-hole.

3. In combination, a cutting means to operate upon a fabric to form a button-hole cut, said cutting means cutting completely through the fabric for a portion of the button-hole outline only to thereby leave a margin of fabric within the outline of the button-hole, and stitching means for stitching the marginal edge of the button-hole and simultaneously operating to turn back the margin of fabric left by the cutting means onto the fabric beyond the button-hole, the stitching means operating to hold said turned margin beneath the stitches without piercing said margin.

4:. In a button-hole machine, means including a cutter and an anvil for severing the fabric along a predetermined buttonhole outline to leave a margin of the fabric within such outline, and stitching means to sew the edge of the button-hole throughout and operative to fold said margin onto the fabric during the stitching operation and confine it by the stitches.

5. A machine for forming button-holes, including mechanism for cutting a button-hole opening, the line of out having end portions defining the width of the button-hole and a connecting portion defining the length of the button-hole, with suchconnecting portion of materially less width than the width of the completed button-hole, and stitching mechanism for the button-hole serving during the stitching operation to complete the width of the button-hole to the limit defined by the end portions of'the cut.

6. A machine for forming button-holes including mechanism for cutting a button-hole opening in a piece of fabric with the line of cut definitely defining the length and final Width of the button-hole, and stitching mechanism for the edges of the button-hole operating to increase the width of said buttonhole opening over and throughout the line of cut defining the length and to the extent of the line of cut defining the width of the button-hole.

7. A machine for forming button-holes including mechanism for cutting a buttonhole opening in a piece of fabric, the line of out being of slit formation and defining both the length and final width of the completed buttonhole, and stitching mechanism to complete the button-hole to a width limited by the line of cut defining the buttonhole width, said final width of the buttonhole being materially increased over the width of the opening of the line of cut defining the length of the button-hole.

8. In a machine for forming button-holes, mechanism for cutting the fabric in an uninterrupted slit formation with a portion of the line of cut defining the length of the button-hole and a portion of the line of cut defining the width of the button-hole, and stitching mechanism for completing the button-hole with a length defined by that particular portion of the line of cut and a width limited by that portion of the line of cut defining the width.

7 9. A machine for forming button-holes including mechanism for cutting a buttonhole opening in the fabric in the form of a slit having angularly related parts, a definite portion of the line of cut defining the length of the butt0n-l10le and a definite portion of the line of cut defining the width of the button-hole, and stitching mechanism to complete the button-hole to a width materially exceeding that of the line of cut and limited by that portion of the line of cut defining the width of the completed buttonhole and having a length limited to that portion of the line of out which defines the length of the button-hole.

10. A machine for forming button-holes the major portion, with such minor portions defining the Width of the button-hole, and stitching mechanism to complete the bottom hole with a length limited to that defined by the major portion of the line of cut and a Width limited to that defined by the minor portions of the line of cut.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY C. MILLER. 

